Abby Epplett, Historian

During my trips to the North Shore earlier this year, I twice visited a group of cemeteries in Ipswich, MA . This cemetery opened in 1634, a year after the town was founded in 1633, and is operational to this day. The oldest parts of the cemetery, located near High Street where on-street parking is available, is called Old Burying Ground or Old North Cemetery, while other sections were Highland and New Highland Cemetery. This entire area is part of High Street Historic District, which has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1980. Like the High Street of many post-medieval towns (as last described in my Lord of the Rings: The Animated Musical essay “Places: Bywater” , which referenced the original Ipswich in England) this was the main road until Central Street was built in 1871, or 238 years after High Street.

During two of my trips to the North Shore, I visited South Hamilton, MA. The town historic district is on Bay Road , originally known as Country Road when it was established in 1640 and now also called Route 1A as the first state highway established in Massachusetts. During these quick history stops, I saw a church, a cemetery, historic houses, a mysterious road, and a special sign. This quiet town was a great place to take a relaxing walk, along with many pictures.

Back in September 2024, I visited Lincoln, RI during Great Road Day, an annual event which celebrates the history of an old highway. My second stop during the trip was Saylesville Meeting House . The village received its name from the mill-owning Sayles family during the mid-19 th century, while the meeting house has been on the National Register for Historic Places since 1978 .

During my trip to Duxbury, MA, after I had visited Alden House National Historic Site and Art Complex Museum , I stopped by Myles Standish Burying Ground , also called Old Burying Ground . This unique little cemetery claims to be the oldest maintained cemetery in the United States. The town of Duxbury has sporadically taken care of the area since the mid-17 th century and named the grounds after colonial militant Myles Standish , who is said to have been buried on the grounds on October 1656. The seemingly defunct American Cemetery Association gave a commemorative plaque to the cemetery in August 1977 as part of a belated bicentennial celebration.

In early November 2023, I took a stroll through Air Line Trail State Park in Connecticut and visited West Thompson Cemetery . This easy walk and historic burial ground were a great way to enjoy one of the last warm and sunny days of the year before the winter set in, along with learning about less commonly known local history.

Along with touring Historic New England’s Winslow Crocker House , Edward Gorey House , and sites maintained by Historical Society of Old Yarmouth during my trip to Yarmouth, MA back in September 2023, I also made several quick history stops around the town. Like in other towns, I visited the cemetery, library, churches, and historic houses, along with a unique bookstore.

Early tonight, at 5:30 p.m., I watched “Early Rhode Island Family Cemeteries and Their Stories”, a webinar hosted by Historic New England via Zoom. The presenter, Robert (Bob) A. Geake , is an archivist and board member Warwick Historical Society , author of eight books, and a frequent contributor to Small State, Big History , a self-proclaimed “Online Review of Rhode Island History”. As stated by Jane Hennedy , who manages Casey Farm and Watson Farm in southern Rhode Island, Geake’s next book is Death in Early New England: Rites, Rituals, and Remembrance , will come out in July. I last met Geake during Lincoln's Birthday at Arnold House in Lincoln, RI, where he is a tour guide. Geake’s presentation utilized beautiful pictures of churches and cemeteries found in the tristate area of Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and Connecticut. Cemeteries familiar to me included The Old Cemetery circa 1774 on Hill Street in Whitinsville, MA ; Ballou Cemetery in Cumberland, RI (RIHC ...

On Thursday, March 16 at 7:00 p.m., I attended the third installment of the 2023 Parked at Home series hosted via Zoom by Blackstone River Valley National Historic Park (BRVNHP) . Park rangers Mark Mello of BRVNHP and Joshua Bell at Eisenhower National Historic Site discussed the role of the Blackstone River Valley in military productions from the Civil War to the present, along with the career of five-star general and 34 th United States President Dwight “Ike” David Eisenhower . Mello began the presentation with an overview of the United States presidents, forty-five men serving forty-six terms in office with the obligatory reminder that Grover Cleveland served as 22 nd and 24 th . He reminded the audience that twenty-one NPS sites preserve birthplaces, homes, and other important monuments to the presidents . The Blackstone River Valley has strong connections to 27 th president William Howard Taft , whose family lived in the area and whose ancestor, Lydia Chapin Taft ,...

On January 14, 2023, from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., I took a guided walking-and-driving tour through the village of Primrose, Rhode Island, which was led by Rich Keene of the North Smithfield Heritage Association (NSHA) . Rich was the perfect guide, as he is a descendent of nearly all the people mentioned during the tour. After Rich gave a concise overview of early North Smithfield history, the tour stopped at the Othniel Matterson Homestead, the Follett Homestead, Grange Road, and Primrose Pond.

Way back in September 2022, I visited Portsmouth, NH and discovered many Quick History Stops around the city. Part 2 in this four part mini-series features Portsmouth Memorial Park, Point of Graves Cemetery, the liberty pole, and the liberty shield. All of these stops are located within a short walking distance of Prescott Park, which I covered in Part 1 . As an added bonus, I learned a bit about the gundalow, a small but majestic replica of barges that sailed along the Piscasqua River and through Portsmouth Harbor from the late 17 th century to the early 20 th century. Revitalized by The Gundalow Company as a tourist attraction, visitors can cruise in the afternoon or evening while learning about the region. Looks like an adventure for the next time I go to Portsmouth!